US First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday praised new progress in an international effort to return Ukrainian children taken to Russia, as seven more minors were reunited with their families.
In a statement, Trump said her “dedication to guaranteeing the safe return of children to their families in this region is unwavering,” and thanked officials in both Russia and Ukraine for their ongoing diplomatic work.
“I commend the leadership and persistent diplomacy of Russia and Ukraine in the pursuit of the reunification of children and families,” she said. “Their bridge-building has created a tangible collaborative environment – an anchor for optimism.”
She added that she and her representative have provided humanitarian support from the United States to help advance the reunification effort, saying she hopes the work will contribute to “broader regional stability.”
In August, Melania Trump penned what she called a “peace letter” to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him that “it is time” to protect children and future generations.
According to Fox News, which obtained the text of the letter, it was hand-delivered by US President Donald Trump to Putin before their high-stakes summit in Anchorage, Alaska, and called on the Russian leader to take responsibility not only for his nation but for humanity as a whole.
“Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation’s rustic countryside or a magnificent city-center,” the letter began. “They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger.”
The letter was presented at the first US-Russia summit since June 2021, when former President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva. That meeting came only months before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
As of December 2025, over 1.6 million Ukrainian children remain under Moscow’s control in occupied territories or deported to Russia. Many face forced Russification, militarization, and indoctrination - practices the ICC cites in its arrest warrant for Putin.
Russia claims it is “protecting vulnerable children,” but reports show minors placed in military-style camps, engaged in war games, and pledging loyalty to Moscow.